Welcome to Penterry Online

St. Mary's Church, Penterry stands alone on a ridge above the Wye Valley to the North of Chepstow, with sweeping views across beautiful farmland and forests. Once the parish church for a community believed to have been wiped out by the plague, St. Mary's fell into disrepair before being restored in Victorian days, and was again at risk of closure until a number of local residents formed a committee in 2001 to raise funds to breathe new life into the church.

As a result of their efforts and the generous support of numerous individuals and organisations, St. Mary's is once again able to provide a focal point to the scattered community of Penterry, both through monthly communion services and through continuing fundraising activities aimed at completing the restoration of the fabric of the church building and churchyard so that it can fulfil its intended role as a hub for the community.

2009 saw exciting developments at Penterry thanks to grants received from Rural Community Action Monmouthshire and the Welsh Assembly Government's Sustainable Development Fund in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The grants supported our efforts to raise funds through the second Penterry Photography Competition, and helped us to strengthen our community through the launch of this website.

In the following years we have carried out a programme of restoration and renovation, starting with repairs to the porch and culminating in the stripping of layers of dark paint from the pews to reveal the rich colour of the wood beneath. With the walls repainted in gleaming white, the church is now looking better than ever.

We hope you enjoy what you find on this website, and we look forward to hearing from you. If you would like us to keep you up-to-date with Penterry events and news, click here to register your e-mail address.